Nickelback
| Nickelback | |
|---|---|
 Nickelback onstage Belfast, September 12, 2008 |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Hanna, Alberta, Canada |
| Genres | Alternative rock, post-grunge, hard rock, heavy metal, alternative metal |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | Roadrunner, Atlantic,, EMI (Canada), LiveNation, Hollywood |
| Website | www.nickelback.com |
| Members | |
| Chad Kroeger Ryan Peake Mike Kroeger Daniel Adair |
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| Past members | |
| Ryan Vikedal Brandon Kroeger |
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Nickelback is a Canadian rock band from Hanna, Alberta, formed in 1995 by Chad Kroeger, Mike Kroeger, Ryan Peake and then-drummer Brandon Kroeger. While largely a rock band, the group has also experimented with various other musical styles such as pop and country, aside from their hard rock and post-grunge base. Nickelback is one of the most commercially successful Canadian groups, having sold 30 million records worldwide.[1] Nickelback ranks as the 11th best selling music act of the 2000s, and is the 2nd best selling foreign act in the US behind The Beatles for the 2000s.[2] In December 2009, Nickelback were ranked 7th on Billboard Magazine's list of "Artists of the Decade" - both the highest-ranked band and the highest-ranked rock artist in the list.[3] Billboard Magazine also named Nickelback as the Adult Pop Artist of the decade.[4]
The band has sold 21,000,000 album copies in the U.S.[5]
Contents |
History
The band is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Its name originates from the nickel in change that band member Mike Kroeger gave customers at his job at Starbucks; he would frequently say, "Here's your nickel back."[6]
The band is signed to EMI in Canada and Roadrunner Records for the rest of the world. In July 2008, the band signed with Live Nation for three touring and album cycles, with an option for a fourth. The contract includes recordings, touring, merchandise and other rights.[7]
Early years: 1995–2000
Nickelback's first release was a seven-track EP called Hesher in 1996.[8] In the same year, Nickelback also recorded their first full-length album Curb. "Fly" was included on both Hesher and Curb and was the first single produced by Nickelback.
The following album, The State, was recorded and released independently in 1998. Nickelback signed a record deal with EMI and Roadrunner Records, who re-released The State in 2000. Two singles from the album, "Leader of Men" and "Breathe" were fairly successful and resulted in the album being certificated gold in Canada and the United States. It was certified Platinum in 2008.[9]
Mainstream success: 2001–2007
In 2001, Nickelback released the Silver Side Up album, which propelled them into the mainstream. The single "How You Remind Me" was a huge success, peaking at #1 on both the American and Canadian charts at the same time. In the U.S., it was a #1 single on the Mainstream and Modern rock charts, as well as the pop chart. It also peaked at #2 on Adult Top 40. "How You Remind Me" became the Billboard Hot 100 #1 single of the year for 2002. The next single was "Too Bad", which also reached #1 on the Mainstream Rock Chart and had a small amount of success on the pop chart. The final single from the album was "Never Again", another #1 hit on Mainstream Rock.
In 2002, Chad Kroeger collaborated with Josey Scott and Gaige Corvo who played the lead guitar on the Spider-Man theme song, "Hero". This also featured Tyler Connolly, Mike Kroeger, Matt Cameron, and Jeremy Taggart.
In 2003, Nickelback released The Long Road. The lead single was "Someday" and the album went on to sell five million copies worldwide. The band also released "Feelin' Way Too Damn Good" as a single, which peaked at #3 on the Mainstream Rock Charts. "Figured You Out" was also released as a single and topped the Mainstream Rock Charts for 13 consecutive weeks.
Nickelback's fifth studio album, All the Right Reasons, produced five U.S. Hot 100 top 20 singles: "Photograph", "Savin' Me", "Far Away", "If Everyone Cared" and "Rockstar". Three of these became U.S. Hot 100 top 10 singles. All the Right Reasons had sold 7,225,557 copies in the US to September 19, 2009. In total, All the Right Reasons has sold about 11 million copies worldwide since its 2005 release. Aside from all the success of All the Right Reasons, lead singer Kroeger began his own label named 604 Records in 2005 and holds the position of executive producer.
Latest releases: 2008–present
On September 4, 2008, Roadrunner Records announced that the first single from the upcoming album was going to be "If Today Was Your Last Day", to be released on September 30, 2008. However, the song was replaced by "Gotta Be Somebody".[10] The new album, titled Dark Horse, was released on November 18, 2008. The album was produced by Mutt Lange.[11] "Something in Your Mouth" was released as the second single to rock radio only on December 15, where it reached #1. "If Today Was Your Last Day" was released as the third single. Four more singles have been released, "I'd Come for You", "Burn It to the Ground" (which would become the theme for WWE RAW) and "Never Gonna Be Alone" released in September and "Shakin' Hands" as the seventh single on November 16.[12] Its eighth single, "This Afternoon", was released on March 23, 2010.
On February 28, 2010, Nickelback gave a performance at the beginning of the concert portion of the 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony, performing "Burn It to the Ground".[13]
In 2010, Nickelback signed with Hollywood Records, putting them in the same label as Breaking Benjamin, Queen, Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, and Selena Gomez.[14]
Awards
Nickelback has been recognized by several Canadian awards ceremonies; the band has received twelve awards from twenty-eight nominations at the Juno Awards and seven awards from fifteen nominations at the MuchMusic Video Awards.[15] Nickelback has also received two awards from six nominations at the American Music Awards and three awards from five nominations at the Billboard Music Awards.[16][17] The band has received six nominations from the Grammy Awards but has not won any of them.[15] In 2006, Nickelback receive an award at the World Music Awards for World's Best Selling Rock Artist. The group was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2007.[18] In the same year received an award for People's Choice Awards for the category Favorite Group. Overall, Nickelback has received 26 awards from 62 nominations.[15]
Critical reception
At various points in their career, Nickelback has received widespread negative reviews from various sources. Review aggregator Metacritic reports that three of their six most recent studio albums since becoming a mainstream act, The Long Road, All the Right Reasons and Dark Horse, have scores of 62%, 41% and 49% respectively.[19][20][21]
In 2007, USA Today reported that "few bands inspire such intense hatred as Nickelback."[22] The article questioned whether Nickelback's commercial success made "critics wrong", and published several statements from various sources within the music industry. Nathan Brackett, a senior editor at Rolling Stone said, "There are some bands that, let's face it, are critic-proof." Both Brackett and Craig Marks, editor in chief of Blender, credit a lot of the band's success to young people who are introduced to them on the radio and "very casual music fans who don't buy a lot of CDs". Marks complimented Nickelback's popularity despite the critical response, saying "it is a tribute to their success."[22]
Despite a barrage of criticism, Nickelback has still managed to please some reviewers with each of their mainstream albums. Allmusic reviewer Liana Jones complimented Nickelback after their commercial breakthrough, Silver Side Up; "what gives the group an upper hand over its peers is intensity and raw passion... Nickelback ups the ante by offering realistic storytelling that listeners can relate to."[23] Following their 2008 album, Dark Horse, ChartAttack credited the band's success to knowing their target audience: "Chad Kroeger is a genius because he knows exactly what people want and precisely how far he can go. He turned out an extremely racy album that's loaded with songs about gettin' drunk and doin' it all without breaking any taboos, and with enough love and moral authority to grease its passage into the mainstream. Rejoice, North America. This is your world."[24] Billboard also praised the band: "The bulletproof Nickelback provides affordable fun that promises good returns in hard times."[25] Also various fellow musicians like Chris Martin of Coldplay[26] as well as R&B singer Timbaland[27] support the band, and cites Nickelback as a major influence in their music.
Band members
- Current members
- Chad Kroeger – lead vocals, co-lead & rhythm guitar (1995–present)
- Ryan Peake – lead & rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1995–present)
- Mike Kroeger – bass guitar (1995–present)
- Daniel Adair – drums, backing vocals (2005–present)
- Former members
- Brandon Kroeger – drums (1995–1997)
- Ryan Vikedal – drums (1997–2005)
Discography
Nickelback has released six studio albums, one compilation album, one EP, twenty-seven singles, and five video albums.
- Curb (1996)
- The State (2000)
- Silver Side Up (2001)
- The Long Road (2003)
- All the Right Reasons (2005)
- Dark Horse (2008)
See also
- Canadian rock
- Music of Canada
References
- ↑ Emma Jones (20 November 2008). "Meet the 'goofiest guys' in rock". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7737175.stm. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
- ↑ "Chart Watch Extra: The Top 20 Album Sellers Of The 2000s - Chart Watch". New.music.yahoo.com. 29 May 2009. http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/34074/chart-watch-extra-the-top-20-album-sellers-of-the-2000s. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ↑ http://www.billboard.com/#/charts-decade-end/artists-of-the-decade?year=2009
- ↑ http://www.billboard.com/#/charts-decade-end/adult-pop-artists?year=2009
- ↑ "Gold & Platinum - August 09, 2010". RIAA. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=2&table=tblTopArt&action=. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
- ↑ Nickelback: Biography Rolling Stone
- ↑ Sisario, Ben (8 July 2008). ""Nickelback Signs Up With Live Nation"". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/arts/music/09nickel.html?ref=arts. Retrieved 8 July 2008.
- ↑ "CANOE - JAM! Music - Artists - Nickelback: First Nickelback CD soars in value". Jam.canoe.ca. 2 October 2001. http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/N/Nickelback/2001/10/02/748171.html. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ↑ "Gold & Platinum - February 14, 2010". RIAA. http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ↑ Mainstream Top 40 Add Dates FMQB.com. Retrieved September 25, 2008.
- ↑ "Nickleback Announce New Album". Komodorock.com. 4 September 2008. http://www.komodorock.com/new-releases/cd-releases/nickleback-announce-new-album-200809047346/. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ↑ "Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!". FMQB. http://fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16697. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ↑ "Nickelback Say Last Nights Performance Was Something We Will Never Forget". Roadrunner News. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/Nickelback-Say-Last-Nights-Performance-Was-Something-We-Will-Never-Forget-21017.aspx. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ↑ "Hollywood Records". Musician Coaching. 2010-04-08. http://musiciancoaching.com/tag/hollywood-records/. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Nickelback". Rock on the Net. http://www.rockonthenet.com/artists-n/nickelback.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
- ↑ "Nickelback among winners at American Music Awards". CBC. http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2006/11/21/ama-winners.html. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
- ↑ "Winners at the American Music Awards". Associated Press. 2007-11-18.
- ↑ "Canada's Walk of Fame: Biographical sketches of 2007 inductees". CTV. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070306/walk_of_fame_bios_070507/20070510?hub=Entertainment. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
- ↑ "The Long Road reviews at". Metacritic.com. http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/nickelback/longroad. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ↑ "All The Right Reasons reviews at". Metacritic.com. http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/nickelback/alltherightreasons. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ↑ "Dark Horse reviews at". Metacritic.com. 18 November 2008. http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/nickelback/darkhorse. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Erin Carlson (20 March 2007). "Sales can't buy love for some top bands". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/2007-03-20-2680499831_x.htm. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
- ↑ "Silver Side Up". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fcfuxql0ldke~T1. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
- ↑ "Nickelback's Dark Horse For Dark Times". CHARTattack. 17 November 2008. http://www.chartattack.com/reviews/62848/nickelbacks-dark-horse-for-dark-times. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ↑ Up for DiscussionPost Comment (14 September 2009). "Dark Horse". Billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/reviews-album/dark-horse-1003895507.story. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ↑ "Coldplay's Chris Martin: 'Nickelback Are A Great Band'". Gigwise. 2008-10-01. http://www.gigwise.com/news/46479/Coldplays-Chris-Martin-Nickelback-Are-A-Great-Band. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
- ↑ 01/26/10 1:46pm by Kate Harper (CHARTattack). "Timbaland Hearts Nickelback". CHARTattack. http://www.chartattack.com/news/78855/timbaland-is-a-nickelback-fan. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
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